Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

अप्येकं कार्तिकस्याहस्तत्र वै सफलीकृतम् । जपहोमार्चनादानैः कृतकृत्यास्त एव हि

Transliteration

apyekaṃ kārtikasyāhastatra vai saphalīkṛtam | japahomārcanādānaiḥ kṛtakṛtyāsta eva hi

Translation

Selbst ein einziger Tag des Kārtika, dort verbracht, wird wahrhaft fruchtbar. Durch Japa, Homa, Verehrung und Spenden werden jene Menschen wahrlich in Pflicht und Ziel erfüllt.

Word by Word

• api: even; also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अर्थे—अपि=‘even/also’

• ekam: one (single)
• ekam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• kārtikasya: of Kārtika (month)
• kārtikasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārtika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)

• ahaḥ: day
• ahaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahar (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• saphalīkṛtam: made fruitful; rendered successful
• saphalīkṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-phalī-kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सफलम् कृतम्)

• japa: recitation (japa)
• japa: Sadhana (Means/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग); (समासे पूर्वपद)

• homa: fire-offering (homa)
• homa: Sadhana (Means/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग); (समासे मध्यपद)

• arcana: worship (arcana)
• arcana: Sadhana (Means/साधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग); (समासे मध्यपद)

• dānaiḥ: by gifts; through charity
• dānaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; करण/साधन-भाव (instrumental)

• kṛtakṛtyāḥ: having accomplished what is to be done; fulfilled
• kṛtakṛtyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta-kṛtya (कृ धातु, क्त; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारय (कृतं कृत्यं येषाम्/कृतकृत्यः)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• eva: only; indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• hi: for; indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (causal/emphatic particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general Kārtika-mahātmyam context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims at dawn in Kāśī during Kārtika: lamps on the river, a small homa-fire on the ghat, devotees doing japa with mālā, offering flowers and lamps at a shrine, and giving alms.

Characters & Entities

• Kārtika
• Pañcanada Tīrtha (contextual)
• Kāśī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holy place plus holy month yields accelerated merit: even one Kārtika day, used well, becomes spiritually complete.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The praised ‘there’ refers to the Pañcanada tīrtha area within Kāśī, continuing the immediate context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (recitation), homa (fire-offering), arcana (worship), and dāna (charity) during Kārtika.